Fireproofing construction for buildings



ug. 2l, 1923A?. lASAlSZ c. A. MATHENY EAT A1. FIREPROOFING CONSTRUCTION FOR BUILDINGS Filed Feb. 9, 1920 2.,Sheets-Sheet l v MvQ/mCO/u,

CLAUDE A MATHE NY? FRANCIS STEELE,

Aug. 2l, 11923. s '31,465.452

c. A. Mms-amv ET AL FIREPROOING CONSTRUCTION FOR BUILDINGS Filed Feb. 9, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @wv CLAUDE A MATHENY, wu O 'FHANLEIE FT E TEELE,

MAZ/O0 Patented rug.. 2li, i923.

INETE@ STATES intensa lenteur caetera.

CLAUDE A. MATHENY, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, AND FBANCIIS STEELE, OF

` CLEVELAND, OHIO.

FIRElROOFING CONSTRUCTION FOB BUILDINGS.

Application tiled February 9, 1920. Serial No. 357,884.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CLAUDE A. MATHE- .NY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland Heights, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, and FRANCIS F. STEELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireprooling Construction for Buildings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in lireproofing construction for buildings, and has for its object the provision of an inexpensive, light and adaptable construction of cellular and relatively fireproof character. More particularly, our improvements are adapted, as herein embodied and set forth in detail, to a substantially fireproof ceiling construction formed of asbestos board and metallic receptacles and supports, for use in garages, boiler rooms and the like, where the danger from fire must be eectively safeguarded.

At present, a common requirement of building lcodes for the ceilings of boiler rooms, of garages built beneath dwellings, and the like, is one of reinforced concrete construction. Such ceilings are relatively expensive and heavy and require special equipment for constructing them in position.

lt has been our endeavor to provide a much lighter ceiling or other relatively fireproofing construction, which may be readily and cheaply installed, while affording all of the protection to be found in one fabricated of reinforced concrete.

Referrin briey to our improved construction, t e same comprises suitable parn allel metallic slides attached to the timbers of the building, as its joists, with ireproof` ing material, as4 sheet asbestos, above and asbestos board below and inserted Within slides or receptacles of the metallic members to aord cellular compartments which are substantially air-tight, throughout the entire surface of the ceiling or other protected portion of the building structure. As a subsidiary feature, we also provide means for removing and inserting one or more panels in the ceiling construction, which likewise are substantially fireproof or re-resistant, in common with the entire structure.

Further details, advantages and objects of our invention may best be explained in connection with the accompanying drawin wherein:

ig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, broken away and partly in section, illustratlng in detail a ceiling construction embodying our improvements.

ig. 2 is a similar view illustrating `some modifications thereof to afford a double cellular construction.

F ig, 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View showing the transverse connector with inserted spreader, embracing the ends of adjacent asbestos board sections.

Fig. 4f is a fragmentary view of the connector.

Fig. 5 is a similar View of the spreader.

Fig, 6 is a fragmentary view of the side support.

Fig. 7 .is a similar view of its lower flange member.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of an intermediate supporting slide, and

Fig. 9`is a similar view of a modified type of transverse connector.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings We have employed the same character of reference to indicate similar parts,

It will be understood that in a building construction of the character indicated, it is quite necessary that the cellular compartments shall be relatively gas-tight; particularly, throughout the surface most likely to be subjected to fire. Accordingly, we have provided metallic supports of sheet metal which afford Wide, continuous and closely engaging slides for the fireproofing material, preferably asbestos board, forming the fireresistant surface. Similarly, the ends of the asbestos boards are transversely joined between the supports, by means of continuously extending connectors. Optionally, the supports and connectors may be associated with a suitable spreader for the purpose of introducing one or more'removable panels.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the joists a are seen to be protected from beneath by a continuous fire-resistant covering b of sheet asbestos, or other suitable material secured thereto. At the sides of the structure (the intermediate portions being indicated merely) there are secured to the joists and studdings c, the side supports d fabricated from folded sheet metal of suitable gauge, as best shown in detail by Fig. 6. Each support has a doubled upper iiange d and an. intermediate flange-d. Coacting therewith 1s the lower flange member e su vstantially rectangular in cross section and affording a bottom flange e.

Secured at normally equidistant intervals to the joists are the intermediate supports f of Fig. 8. These afford duplicated slides f' fabricated integrally from the doubled sheet metal which is bent at right angles to form the upper or attaching flange f.

The asbestos board sections g, of such d1- mensions as are desired, are slipped into the end supports and intermediate slides, as shown; the lower flange members e being finally nailed in position to complete the ceiling construction. Thus, there is formed a cellular ceiling which is substantially gastight, as the slides closely engage the asbestos board sections continuously along their ed es. Similarly, the transverse con- -nectors of Figs. 3 and fha-or z' of Fig. 9 are rovided with relatively deep slide members E', z", for engaging the ends of the asbestos board sections, as shown at the left in Fig. 1.

The construction of Fig. 2 is analogous to that of Fig. vl, as thus far described, exceptthat a plurality of aligned cellular compa-rtments are provided by duplicating the slides on the metallic hangers or supports and supplying three spaced strata of asbestos board above and therebetween.

Frequently it is found desirable to provide a removable section or panel in the ceiling, as for example. to afford access to a fuse box or the like. In these circumstances, a simple form of spreader, such as is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, may be associated with the supports and connectors. The spreader j may have a lateral fin j' adapted to be inserted between the walls of a doubled flange member, as shown, better to retain the spreader in position. The corresponding asbestos board section or panel, as indicated intermediately in Fig. 1, is cut suiiciently short and narrow to lit within the engaging slides, only when the lateral and transverse spreader or spreaders are inserted within the supports, to spring them apart, as shown. Thus, it results, that the panel may be readily removed and replaced without disturbing the remainder of the ceiling construction or removing any other parts than the spreader and panel.

When the ceiling construction has been installed substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, preferably the entire lower face thereof is covered with one or more coats of fireproofing paint, which serves not onlyv to improve the appearance of the panelled ceiling, but assists in making the cellular construction one that is substantially gas-tight from below. This result, however, primarily depends upon the wide, continuous length of the upper and lower embracing iianges forming the slides and connectors for the asbestos board sections. Thus the doubled members of Figs. 4, 8 and 9 form connectors .for the ends `vor the edges of the asbestos board which unite the sections thereof into a lire-resistant stratum forming the underface, ceiling, or outer face of the cellular construction, dependent upon the use to which our invention is put.

The end supports or connectors L, by reason of their doubled web portions, are adapted to sustain relatively wide sections of asbestos board Without any tendency toward sagging, as this construction is quite rigid longitudinally thereof.

The side supports, formed in two sections or members d and e, are best adapted for the edges of the lateral or outermost sections of asbestos board; contributing materially to the easy and rapid erection of the cellular ceiling through the employment of the separFatelyz' adjusted bottom flange member e of It'will be appreciated that this tire-resist'- ant ceiling construction may be installed at any period with respect to the erection of the building, whereas it is -impracticable to fabricate a. concrete ceiling after the building has been completed about the garage and above it. Obviously our construction is lighter, cheaper and more adaptable than is concrete.

Having now described the preferred embodiment of our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, together with such modifications thereof as may be made by those merely skilled in the art, the following 1. A cellular fire-resistant ceiling construction, comprising a continuous fireresistant stratum, a plurality of metallic supports secured thereto in spaced parallel relation and having continuous angularly extending slide members, fire-resistantpa-nels or sections inserted` within and laterally engaged substantially in gas-tight relation by the slide members, and means for connecting the ends of the panels, substantially as set forth. l

2. A fre-resistant building construction, comprising a plurality of metallic supports positioned in spaced parallel relation and,

having laterally extending slide members, of a fire-resistant panel adapted to enter said slide members, andan insertible spreader for engaging the slide `members and the panel in removable relation, substantially as set forth.

3. A connector for fire-proofing panels, comprising an integral length of sheet metal doubled upon itself to form an intermediate reinforced web or fin, and provided with parallel slide members laterally foldedfrom said web or fin on opposite sides thereof to form continuous upper and lower embracing flanges adapted to receive the edges of the panel and hold them in relatively gas tight relation, substantially as set forth,

4. A connector for fire-resistant panels, comprising an integral length of sheet metal doubled upon itself and angularly bent to form a supporting flange at the top and laterally folded upon either side adjacent to its lower portion to provide continuous upper and lower slides substantially at right angles to said flange adapted to receive the edges of adjacent panels and grip them in relatively gas-tight relation, substantially as set forth.

5. A cellular fire-resistant building construction, comprising a continuous fire-resistant stratum attached to members of the building, a plurality of parallel metallic supports also attached to members of the building exterior of said stratum and fireresistant sections inserted between said parallel metallic supports coextensive with the building surface to be covered and protected; said supports having engaging portions for receiving and holding the edges of said sections in relatively gas-tight relation, substantially as set forth.

6. A support for fire-resistant panels, comprising an integral length of sheet metal doubled upon itself and angularly bent to form a supporting flange at the top and laterally folded to provide a continuous upper flange of a slide member, and an angularly bent member coextensive with and attachable below said continuous upper flange to form a coacting lower flange of a slide member, substantially as set forth.

T. A cellular freeresistant building construction, comprising a continuous fire-resistant stratum attached to supporting members of the building, a plurality of parallel sheet metal supports also attached to said members exterior of said stratum, re-resistant sections inserted between the sheet metal supports coextensive With the building surface to be protected, and transverse connectors uniting the ends of said sections transversely of the parallel supports; said connectors and supports being provided with continuous slides or channels for holding the edges of the inserted sections in rela.- tively gas-tight relation, substantially as set forth.

8. A cellular fire-resistant building construction, comprising a continuous or com plete stratum and a discontinuous connected interspaced stratum of fire-resistant sheets, parallel sheet metal supports for the latter and for an exterior stratum, positioned and constructed to subdivide the strata into reliatively gas-tight chambers or cells, and an exterior stratum of fire-resistant sheets, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we do now affix our signatures.

CLAUDE A. MATHENY. FRANCIS F. STEELE. 

